D. Forecast for Next 12-18 months Essay Example for Free

D. Forecast for Next 12-18 months Essay The world economic outlook is bright. World GDP growth is forecast to average slightly more than 4 percent per annum during 2006-2007. Asia will continue to act as the primary engine of global growth, though activity will also be supported by continued U. S. economic expansion of almost 3 percent annually. China will continue to register robust growth of slightly more than 9 percent per annum, and output will continue to increase rapidly also in India. Japan also appears to be entering a longer phase of stable growth. The positive global environment will be reinforced by the Euro Area, where economic growth is forecast to accelerate in response to a recovery in domestic demand (The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy). The National Institute of Economic and Social Research has recently released a set of forecasts regarding the state of world economy in 2007. Below are listed some of the key points: Global growth will quicken to 5. 1 per cent this year falling back only a bit in 2007 to a still rapid 4. 7 per cent. Inflationary pressures are rising, mainly owing to higher oil prices, but the impact of rising oil prices on inflation and output is now more muted than in the past. Global imbalances remain marked and the dollar may have to fall by a further 30 per cent in order to halve the US current-account deficit. The US economy will grow by over 3 per cent a year in both 2006 and 2007, but inflationary pressures are mounting. The Japanese economic recovery has become self-sustaining and GDP will rise by 3. 1 per cent in 2006 and by 2. 6 per cent in 2007. The Euro Area will expand by around 2 per cent a year in both 2006 and 2007, and consumer price inflation will average about 2. 5 per cent in both years. The NIESR report goes on to elaborate upon the aforementioned points: Advanced countries in the OECD bloc are participating in the upswing but the main reason for the current period of exceptionally strong global growth is the long boom in China. In 2005, China represented 15. 4 per cent of global GDP on a purchasing-power parity basis, up from 3. 4 per cent in 1980. Global inflation is rising in response to higher oil prices, but much less so than in the past. New estimates suggest that a $10 permanent rise in oil prices will add 0. 2 to 0. 4 percentage points to inflation in the United States in the four years to 2009, with a somewhat smaller impact in the Euro Area, and a still smaller effect in the UK. The global upswing continues to be accompanied by major imbalances, notably the scale of the US current account deficit, which widened by 4. 5 percentage points of GDP between 1997 and 2005. Since this deterioration has mainly financed increased consumer spending rather than productive investment, financial markets may conclude that the deficit is not sustainable. It is estimated that the dollar’s value against a basket of currencies needs to fall by a further 30 per cent in order to reduce the current account deficit by 3 percentage points of GDP. The US economy will grow by 3. 6 per cent in 2006 and by 3. 1 per cent in 2007. The economy continues to be driven mainly by consumption, which will increase by 3. 3 per cent in 2006 and by 2. 9 per cent in 2007. Housing investment is slackening but business investment, stimulated by high corporate profits, will buoy growth this year and next. Inflation is picking up and the private consumption deflator will rise by 3. 0 per cent in 2006 and by 3. 3 per cent in 2007. There now appears little doubt that the Japanese recovery from the bleak period of deflation and stagnation has become self-sustaining. The economy grew by 3. 5 per cent in the year to the first quarter of 2006 . Business investment is expanding strongly and consumer spending is expected to grow by 1. 9 per cent a year in 2006 and 2007. Average earnings, which had been falling earlier in the decade, will grow by 0. 8 per cent in 2006 and by 2. 8 per cent in 2007. The outlook for the Euro Area is for higher inflation despite a fairly modest recovery. Consumer prices will rise by 2. 6 per cent in 2006 compared with 2. 2 per cent in 2005. Tighter monetary conditions together with measures in Germany to cut the budget deficit will hold back growth in consumption and GDP in the Euro Area. Consumer spending will also be restrained by sluggish growth in average earnings as the corporate sector manages to retain its increased profitability (Barrell et al, 8-31).

Working Mothers And Womens Equality At Work Social Work Essay

Working Mothers And Womens Equality At Work Social Work Essay Due to changing trends in the world, many women continue to enter the workforce day and night performing almost similar duties like men. Motivated by a number of factors ranging from social to economic environment surrounding the move has always sparked debates not only among men but also in women who argue against the idea. The debate revolves around working versus those women who stay at home and take care of their families especially children. These concerns explore existence of any effects of working mothers to their children in terms of academic performance in schools and their emotional development which significantly depends on what happens at childhood. Another concern is the possibility of high stress levels faced by working mothers on a daily basis compared to their counterparts at home. This research analysis utilized findings from experts and surveys aimed at unraveling the truth about working mothers. Introduction Who are working mothers? This is a label name which refers to women who have career jobs and responsibilities apart from taking care of their children and husband at home. The number of this type of women has continued to increase not only in the neither United States, nor Europe but all over the world. Even as immense criticism continues to surround the idea of working women, it is of paramount need to focus on some of the factors which contribute to this phenomenon. It is clear that the world is always at a constant change process in terms of social believes, practices and also economic transformation. Many women have opted to join the work a way of enhancing equality with men who believe that women are supposed to be stationed at home and carry out domestic duties (Randall, 2003). The question that ponders the mind of many is whether the notion of working mothers is the only focal point in addressing the issue of gender equality in the society. Is there a better approach? Definite ly there are considerable realistic and workable ways of establishing a society that recognizes men and women as equal beings. Although viewed negatively by some people, many women believe that by joining the work force, there would be significant ease and improvement in meeting the family needs. Sharing of family responsibilities between men and women is by far a very important idea. With increasing global economic hitches, there is every need for every family in the world to establish ways of making ends meet without extreme straining. As a result, working mothers believe that this is the only way of lessening family crisis which may arise from unsatisfied needs and unmet expenses which can be shared between a husband and wife. This sounds human and acceptable but it has lacked taste in a number of men in the world and other women who still advocate for stay home mothers in the 21st century. It is clear that the question of whether women need to be incorporated in the workforce like men still causes controversy. With growing working opportunities for both men and women, it is very normal for girls to go to school, join colleges and universities and secure jobs just like their male counterparts. This is quite commendable. However, the basis of this argument rests on the opportunity cost incurred when women join the workforce. It is believed that working women make inefficient mothers. Although this varies from one person to the other, sociologists argue that there is usually little or no time left for children brought up by working mothers. Additionally, working women experience a lot of stress compared to non working mothers who spent their entire time with their families (Harper Richards, 1986). This is attributed to overwhelming demands which may arise from work stations and homes. Balancing of time between the two masters, job and family remains a mega challenge amon g working women in the world. Statement of problem According to this research, very little has been done with regard to the effect of working mothers on their childrens emotional development and academic behavior. As a result, the research explores the general impact of working mothers on their children compared to non working women. Research questions What is the negative impact of a working mother on a childs academics and emotions? What is the positive impact of a working mother on the life of her child? What is the impact of non working mothers on their childrens life? Literature review Working mothers has received massive coverage from both individuals and groups of people aimed at unraveling the truth which surround this debate topic. However, many people reckon that the idea is quite open with a wide range of views which may vary from person to person. One of search people who have invested time in sociological research is Elizabeth Perle McKenna. In her 1998 research, McKenna analyses the relationship between work and family as experienced by working women around the globe. She exhaustibly dwells on the issue of work and identity and the dissatisfaction which arises when work does not give intended satisfaction. She argues that many women find themselves ignoring pivotal areas of their lives by devoting their time and concentration to work (McKenna, 1998). This devotion is usually aimed at attaining certain traditional symbols of success like money, challenging jobs and power. As viewed by McKenna, women entered the workforce massively under terms that were designed by men. They were eager and full of passion of leaving the old fashion of staying at home. They did this like immigrants abandoning their natural habitat and adapting to the workforce designed for and by men to suit their lifestyle and nature. Unfortunately, most if not all working systems have been designed to define men based on what they do and not who they are (McKenna, 1998). This system calls for long working hours in order to gain recognition and reward. This is still the case today even though almost sixty percent of women in the United States belong to the working class. In other words, the workforce does not recognize the nature of women with regard to the diverse responsibilities they have at home. It assumes the fact that women belong at home. McKenna writes this book from a personal experience and recalls moments in her life when she found it hard to balance work with growing famil y needs until she had to quit her job after having changed career severally. McKenna admits that women who are unable to quit working find it hard to balance between work and family responsibilities. She poses that although many women want attain success as traditionally defined, it is almost impossible excel career-wise and thrill as a good mother, caregiver and a good wife. She notes that the pursuit of such identity breeds nothing but depression, stress and finally burnout. Research findings This research found out that working mothers have a wide range of impact on their families with special emphasis on their children. Non working mothers have all the time to take care of their families and provide necessary care and love to their young ones. Children born of working mothers experience difficulties during their early stages of development. As young beings, children need enough time from their caregivers who are non other their mothers. In the absence of this care emotional impact is felt which may affect up to the academic capabilities of such children. Working mothers also experience emanating from challenges of time balancing (Peters 1968). On the other hand, working men feel independent and provide families needs including among others, childrens quality food. Both working and non working children may significantly influence the development process of children. Discussion The number of working mothers has continued to rise from about 30% in 1970s to approximately 50% in early 21st century. This has significantly affected the life of many children. (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1999). Children from families with working mothers have emotional depressions with measurable difficulties in their academic life. There is also continuing research on the effect of mothers working stress on children. Even as this research continues, the fact is that a child is always hyper sensitive to the emotional status of the mother before and even after birth. Do children born of working mothers receive sufficient attention and care? When mothers spend almost full of their day time at work, many children less effective especially at school. Since most working mothers maximize their working time when children are in their pre-school, these children show wanting and unappealing results (Cavel, 2001). These children feel some form of emptiness which ends up affecting their class concentration and general performance compared to children whose mothers are not working. It is also important to affirm that a childs early stages are very important in shaping his character and personality. Children who spend less time with their mothers as a result of work commitments are likely to experience hardships in language development which goes further to affect a childs academic progress. This is because learning in class mainly depends on communication propagated by language proficiency (Associated Press, 1999). Working mothers also experience a lot of stress which arise from the inability to balance between work and family needs. These two responsibilities appear to be like two jobs which are being handled by one person at the same time. As a result, these mothers are ever in a hurry to catch up with time and attend to unfinished duties at home and at work place. These mothers end up meeting the needs of the family with very few men willing to share the responsibility (Gershaw, 1988). In the event that a child falls sick, mothers find it difficult to fully attend to the child at the expense of her sleeping job. They also feel stressed over their own lives. Many working women are not willing to give birth. In other words, working continues to rob women off their mothering ability. Although working mothers have significant negative impact on their children, these mothers also have all the reasons to smile and the need for them to receive recognition. There are positive impacts generated by these mothers with the baseline of it being provision of basic needs, especially food. Many children brought up by working mothers live in considerably good standards compared to those of non working mothers. Working mothers usually have a wide domain of choices in terms of dietary. This ensures good childcare and healthy upbringing (Booth, 2000). A working mother is also a challenge to her children (Figes, 2001). As the immediate role model, mothers play a mega role in shaping the character of her children. Children admire good character and adorable achievements realized by those people who surround them. Therefore working mothers challenge their children to work hard and experience better achievements compared to what may she has. Conclusion In general, working mothers negatively impact their children. This is mainly witnessed in areas of emotional development and academic performance. This is mainly due to the inability to balance between family responsibilities and demands of the job. Stress is also common among working mothers a trend that is significantly low among non working mothers. It should be noted that working is highly encouraged among family members. However, mothers should devote most of their time to taking care of their children. They can take up less demanding jobs especially at tender ages of their children.

Genetic Screening :: DNA Science Genes Essays

Genetic Screening Five year old Jacob Turner is a healthy boy without many cares in this world. His father takes sole care of him because his mother died suddenly. Genetic testing after death, showed a genetic mutation in Jacob's mothers genes that caused her to have an irregular heart. Unfortunately, Jacob has also inherited this mutation, but fortunately, this disorder can be controlled by medications. Now, Jacob's father has another problem. No insurance company will cover young Jacob because of his known heart irregularity. Situations like Jacob's are now a relatively common with the advent of genetic screening. People can now look into their genetic make up to find out if they carry a deleterious gene or genetic predisposition to a disease. No longer must many people with high risk families worry about whether or not they may contract the same disease as their ancestors. Diseases and disorders such as Huntington chorea, Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Hemophilia, and some kinds of cancer such as breast, colon, thyroid, ovarian, and skin can now be identified on a particular gene and can likely predict the probability of disease onset. But with this technology comes many physiological and ethical problems. Within this paper, I will define genetic screening, look at the controversial ethical viewpoints, and give a brief overview to this situation. Genetic Screening is a relatively new concept that is just now becoming more widespread. In simple terms, the process uses techniques that enable the technician to identify mutant DNA in the person's genetic make up. If a mutant is found, medical precautions can be taken. If none is found, then it can be assumed that the person does not carry the deleterious gene and has the same risk of contracting the disease as anyone else in the population. The screening requires that a tissue sample be taken from the individual to be tested. Where and what kind of tissue depends on the condition being screened. When screening for a specific cancer, tissue of that organ is most helpful. When screening for a noncancer disease, blood or urine will produce results. Because the tissue sample is small, a process called Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is used. PCR is a technique that enables more than a million copies to be made from a single strand of DNA. This can be done in a precancerous or cancerous cell. The copied DNA can then be hybridized.

Thermodynamics :: physics thermodynamics

The word thermodynamics is derived from the Greek words therme, meaning heat and dunamis, meaning power. Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that studies the effects of changes in temperature, pressure, and volume on systems at the macroscopic scale by studying the motion of their particles. A system is the subject of study. Heat means energy in transit and dynamics relates to movement of particles; thus, in essence thermodynamics studies the movement of energy and how energy instills movement. Thermodynamics describes how systems respond to changes in their surroundings. This can be applied to a wide variety of topics in science (physics and chemistry) and engineering, such as engines, phase transitions of matter, chemical reactions, and transportation. The study of thermodynamics is separated into two branches: the classical and the statistical thermodynamics. Classical thermodynamics was the original study of thermodynamics in early 1800s. It was concerned with thermodynamic states, and properties as energy, work, and heat, and with the two laws of thermodynamics. However, classical thermodynamics lacked an atomic interpretation of the processes. Classical thermodynamics derives from the research done by physicist Robert Boyle. He developed the concept that the pressure P of a given quantity of gas varies inversely to its volume V at constant temperature. In other words this equation was derived: PV = k, a constant. From here, the thermo-science began to develop with the construction of the first successful atmospheric steam engines. The first and second laws of thermodynamics emerged simultaneously in the 1850s. With the development of atomic and molecular theories in the late 19th century, thermodynamics was given a molecular interpretation, which the classical thermodynamics lacked. This field is called statistical thermodynamics, which can be thought of as a bridge between macroscopic and microscopic properties of systems. Statistical thermodynamics is focused around the macroscopic results. The statistical approach is to derive all macroscopic properties (temperature, volume, pressure, energy, entropy, etc.) from the properties of moving particles and the interactions between them in the given system. Statistical thermodynamics was found to be very accurate and successful; therefore it is widely used by scientists around the world. Thermodynamics is a branch of physics which deals with the energy and work of a system. It was born in the 19th century as scientists were first discovering how to build and operate steam engines. The term thermodynamics was first used by James Joule to express the relationship between heat and power. The history of thermodynamics begins with a German scientist who designed and built the first vacuum pump.

Essay --

Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809 in his home in Kentucky. He was given the same name as his grandfather and he did not have a middle name. Abraham's parents were Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. He had two other siblings. They were Sarah Grigsby and Thomas Jr, but Thomas Jr. died when he was just a baby. When Abraham was 8 his mother Nancy died of milk sickness at the age 34. His father then remarried to Sarah Bush Lincoln. She had already had 3 children. John, Matilda, and Elizabeth. Abraham really liked Sarah. Abraham's father Thomas was very against slavery. Abraham was very smart man but he was only schooled for about a total of 18 months all together. He was homeschooled by his stepmother Sarah. She taught him how to read and write. He would read when he was at home so that he could get out of doing labor with his father, even though he was very good at using an axe. He even helped his dad make log cabins. Abraham had many different jobs. He was a rail-splitter, a river boatman, and a village postmaster, but none of these jobs satisfied him. At one time he even opened a general store in Salem, but it failed. He even later became a successful lawyer. In 1832 Lincoln ran for a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, but he lost. He won the election for State Office in 1934 and was in the Illinois State Legislature from 1834-1842. Abraham served for United States House of Representatives from 1847-1849. When his term was over he moved back to Springfield to practice law. He became a lawyer and a very good one at that. He was given the nickname "Honest Abe" because everyone respected him so much. He joined the Republican side since he was against slavery. Abraham wrote the Emancipation Proclamation. The first draft w... ...n. After it Robert, Thomas, and Mary moved to Chicago and he finished his law studies at the University of Chicago. On September 24, 1868, Robert Lincoln married Mary Eunice Harlan. They had two daughters and one son. Mary "Mamie" Lincoln was born October 15, 1869. Abraham Lincoln II was born August 14, 1873. His nickname was Jack. Jessie Harlan Lincoln was born November 6, 1875. Robert was very worried about his mother. He committed her to a psychiatric hospital in Batavia, Illinois in 1875. Mary didn't like this and wrote letters to numerous people trying to show that she shouldn't have to be hospitalized, but Robert stood by what he thought and even the director of Bellevue told the jury at Mary's trial that she would benefit from treatment. With Mary trying to escape from her sons decision her and Robert never fully reconciled and stayed distant from each other.

JetBlue Management Case Study Essay

JetBlue: Managing the Future In the airline industry, few players have managed to build a unique brand identity and achieve brand differentiation. JetBlue, however, has done so by taking up the niche position of a low-cost provider that also offers a top-notch experience that legacy airlines don’t deliver. JetBlue will maximize opportunity by maintaining its theory of the business and incorporating innovation as a core value through entrepreneurial management of resources resulting in new strategy. David Neeleman’s vision is to create a new kind of airline; one that would leverage technology for safety, efficiency and a commitment to their customers. Neeleman was convinced that his commitment to innovation in management, policies, and technology would keep the planes full and moving. JetBlue’s goal is to give customers exactly what they want in the form of an innovative product delivered by friendly crew members that believe in high quality service. Neeleman states in Innovator’s DNA that his strengths, â€Å"is an ability to look at a process or a practice that has been in place for a long time and ask myself, ‘Why don’t they do it this other way?’ And some times I find myself thinking the answer is so obvious that I wonder, ‘Why has no one else ever thought of this before?’† (Dyer, Gregersen, Christensen 76). Neeleman is convinced that commitment to innovation regarding management, policies, and technology would keep airplanes full and moving. It is the theory of the business to provide high-class, convenient, and efficient service to their customers and an enjoyable, productive environment for JetBlue’s employees. Neeleman’s innovative personality as CEO has enabled JetBlue to create brilliant ideas such as the e-ticket system that provides consumers with incentives to reserve and purchase tickets from the company’s website. JetBlue knows that changes through out the industry occur continuously due to competitive imitation from other companies and through technological advances. Collis and Montgomery mention that â€Å"history is replete with examples of how technology has ruined companies and corporate strategies by substituting alternative resources for those on which a sustainable corporate advantage had been built.† (Collis, Montgomery 237). Neelman learned from the Southwest airline model but knew in himself that he could improve the  process. He understood that it was not just enough to just charge low priced fares since competitors could easily match on price. David Neeleman challenges the status quo in the experience of air travel and demonstrates his passion as an innovator by observing customer behavior, products/services, technologies and other air travel corporations. Neeleman spent a lot of time and energy discovering and testing ideas through a diverse network of individuals who were able to do the job well, while at the same time experimenting with fresh ideas. As stated in Innovator’s DNA, â€Å"interviews and observations revealed that innovative companies build the code for innovation right into the organizations’ people, process and guiding philosophies.† (Dyer, Gregersen and Christensen 170). JetBlue’s strategy is to combine common sense with innovation and technology to â€Å"bring humanity back to air travel† ***cite*** through incorporating innovation and creativity into their core values. JetBlue adopts a route structure that is a hybrid between the â€Å"hub-and spoke† system used by most legacy carriers, and the â€Å"point-to-point† systems used by many discount airlines. JetBlue has utilized Drucker’s theory of fustest with the mostest with a unique business model and by becoming the first â€Å"paperless† airline, substituting computer and information technology for everything from flight planning to aircraft maintenance to the sole use of e-tickets. Drucker explains, †the last of these innovative strategies deliver what is ‘value’ to the customer rather than what is ‘product’ to manufacturer. It is actually only one step beyond the strategy of accepting the customer’s reality as part of the product and part of what the customer buys and pays for.† (Drucker 395). David Neeleman believes JetBlue should focus on stimulating demand in under-served markets with low fares because he understood that his company is in the service industry, which is only enabled by the highly productive use of employees, aircrafts and strategic competitive pricing. By doing this JetBlue will improve the passenger experience with technology and would use technology to increase employee and aircraft productivity beyond those achieved by competitors. The theory and technology already have been tested and proven to be a competitive advantage as David Neeleman’s first airlines, Morris Air, became a pioneer i n ticketless travel in 1993 and was acquired by low-fare leaders at the time Southwest Airlines for $129 million. ***(unsure if this last part of the sentence regarding $129 million is necessary) **** To keep this competitive advantage, JetBlue has planned for the long term by buying out LiveTV in 2002 for $ 41 million from the company that supplied JetBlue with the cable television capabilities. This is why JetBlue chose the Airbus A320 because it was larger, more reliable and fuel-efficient than most aircrafts. By operating just one model of aircraft at the time, JetBlue was allowed to increase cost savings by simplifying maintenance issues, reducing spare-parts-inventory requirements, lowering training costs and increasing scheduling efficiency. Utilizing the Airbus as a sole aircraft type, JetBlue was able to standardize its training and service processes around the aircraft and also gain flexibility in scheduling and capacity management. For example, at JetBlue each pilot was provided with a laptop computer, which possessed all the flight plans that allow JetBlue pilots to perform pre-flight check themselves more efficiently. JetBlue began passenger flights in 2000, soon after becoming profitable the following year with a net income of $39 million and was profitable for the next three years until 2005. When the company reported a $20 million loss mainly due to the 52% increase in fuel price from the previous year, it resulted in $167 million in increased operational cost. Through proper management, JetBlue initiated a â€Å"Return to Profitability† program that involved improving capacity management, revenue optimization and cost reductions. While suffering a loss in the first quarter of 2006, the company was profitable for the remainder of the year, reporting a full-year loss of just $1 million and carried that success all the way into 2009 where the company reported $58 million in net income despite a $76 million loss the year before. All that did was reaffirm JetBlue’s confidence in committing itself in the â€Å"JetBlue Experience.† Managers are agents of transformation who rely on knowledge for the humanities, social sciences, and technology to perform his or her task of managing people to be capable of joint performance through common goals, values, and the right structure with proper training and development. By linking human resource practices to the company’s values and behaviors, JetBlue was able to ensure that it’s employees were productive, safe and customer-oriented. Aircraft utilization is also achieved through quick efficient turnarounds at the gate averaging 35 minutes, while utilizing its aircrafts more efficiently than any other airline by keeping each plane in the air for an average of 13 hours a day  and keeping the fleet productive by operating red-eye flights. This practice allows JetBlue to keep costs low by spreading its fixed cost over a great number of flights and available-seat-miles. Sustaining low operating costs enabled JetBlue to offer low rate fares to its customers, a quality that JetBlue prides itself in. JetBlue will be able to accomplish the goal of adding simplicity, technology, design, entertainment, and friendly people through its utilization of their top management team’s experience, (Dave Garger, John Owens and Ann Rhoades) who have all worked with competitive companies during its rapid growth years. The experience of top managers allowed management to take qualities from other airlines and apply those lessons in building a better JetBlue. By taking the five core values as a guide ***(what are the five core values)****, JetBlue will make sure that the right people with integrity are hired. JetBlue strives for simplicity in their computer technology, but also pay attention to cultural fit because it plays into the company’s theory of the business, that happy employees are a great source for recruiting their friends from competing airlines. JetBlue understands the importance of giving their consumers what they want and are able to continually adapt to the ever changing needs of their customers. JetBlue knows that by focusing on point-to point service to large metropolitan areas, it will be able to attract JetBlue’s target market that are, â€Å"fare-conscious travelers who might otherwise have used alternate forms of transportation or would not have traveled at all.† However, the company recognizes that high-quality service differentiates themselves from their competitors and that was the key to brin ging their customers back. However, JetBlue is increasingly courting a higher class of passengers who have the resources to pay a higher price for a business or first-class ticket, but appreciate a lower fare without sacrificing high-class customer service, especially when corporations are looking to reduce business travel due to tough economic conditions. Neeleman noted that one of the interesting things about the airline industry is that virtually all numbers about operations are in the public domain that allows JetBlue to research the demand for air travel in different market and at different prices. JetBlue uses their own online customer survey so they can respond rapidly to customer feedback. JetBlue needs to maintain innovation by continuing its strategy of using new airplanes, offering great personal service, creating a state of the art  revenue management system and single class service with competitive prices lower than the competition. JetBlue has a clear feeling of honesty, care and concern for customer satisfaction, not just corporate lip service to †service†. There will always be customer dissatisfaction, despite the company’s best efforts, but one the greatest differences between JetBlue and other airlines was the former’s proactive approach to correcting any wrongs that happened on flights. By centralizing the transfer of passengers during long journeys across the country, such structures allowed passenger to travel between numerous destinations without changing airlines. Despite the advantage of a hub-and-spoke model, this kind of centralization proved challenging if weather, maintenance problems or air traffic delays interfere with schedules. There was a demand after 2001 for smaller regional routes expanded as many airlines cut longer routes as a way to reduce costs. As JetBlue continued to adapt its product to meet the changing demands of it consumers, it decided to change its policy of a one model standard by adding the Embraer’s E190 to test and efficiently serve the potential medium sized market by offerings passengers a more comfortable flight than typical regional jets. In 2003 JetBlue demonstrated their ability to adapt their product by playing a significant role in designing the interior of the E190 to improve passenger’s comfort and increasing the range of choices available to JetBlue passengers by feeding customer to connecting A320 flights at focused cities. The synergy between the E190 and A320 enabled the A320 to feed int o E190 flights as well, resulting in higher loads and improved economics for JetBlue. JetBlue recorded a net income of $103.9 million and the company achieved a record stock price at $30 per share in 2003. Transfers at focus cities (New York/JFK, Boston, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Long Beach) would improve the utilization of existing airport facilities, increase productivity and reduce downtime for airport crewmembers. The diversification of aircrafts causes changes in pilot compensation, which leads to a lot of unhappy/ highly influential employees who are looking for higher pay. Steven Predmore, Vice President and Chief Safety Officer, notes that once the innovation of using non-skid flooring on the cargo bins of the E190 were used, it became a safety feature preventing baggage handlers from slipping on the floor. The issue was that loading procedures established with the A320 was to slide bags along the floor of  the bins, which resulted in increased loading time and the chances of an employee harming themselves with back sprains. In addition, the E190 also required changes in behavior and expectation for JetBlue’s existing customer. For example, overhead storage bins on the E190 were smaller than the A320, causing many passengers to be surprised and disappointed when asked to check their luggage at the gate. JetBlue is being asked to do too much in for a short period of time and the company’s human or technological resources are being stretched out too much, causing internal inconsistency that transform into bigger, external issues with the company’s strategy. The company now has to tell their customers to do two different things; which at the time they did not have the internal/communication infrastructure nor have the correct operations procedures in place to actually execute the complexity of the operations being run. Drucker states, â€Å"Innovative efforts that take the existing business out of its own field are rarely successful. Innovation had better not be â€Å"diversification†. â€Å"Whatever the benefits of diversification, it does not mix with entrepreneurship and innovation† (Drucker 363). An existing business innovates where it has expertise, knowledge of the market or knowledge of technology. Anything new will predictively be met with trouble and therefore, one must build entrepreneurial management to match that business. In JetBlue’s case, they were growing too quickly for them to manage as demonstrated on the February 12, 2007 ice storm (Valentine’s Day Massacre) when JetBlue eventually cancell ed 1,195 flights over a six day period due to the company’s cancellation policy, costing the company roughly $41 million. JetBlue’s development is based off the understanding of the conditions leading to the problems of February 2007 incident and taking initiatives. This was done through the IROP Integrity program that not only change the way JetBlue addresses disruptive events/ irregular operation (IROPs), but establishing a model for large-scale change in the company and installing confidence among employees that can work together to solve the most challenging problems. The IROP Integrity project was not intended to provide a static, permanent solution to the problem of cancellation, communication, recovery from disruptions within the industry. However, the aviation industry was constantly changing and the way Jetblue deals with IROPs would also need to evolve. The standardization of the cancellation desk effectively addressed  many of the problems posed by IROPs such as communication overload, prompt notification of crews, and dedicated focus on process. Crewmembers had previously believed that technology limitations restricted them from efficiently dealing with IROPs. The company’s ability to adapt is what saved itself after inciden ces like in 2007 as JetBlue hired â€Å"the right person,† Russell Chew, in 2008 who brought in experienced managers from other airlines, particularly those with an expertise in operations. The company began to change its focus from reacting to problems and overcoming them by heroic efforts, preparing for disruptions and focusing on pre-event rather than post-event. JetBlue displays care for their customers as they have issued a Bill of Rights in 2010, promising to compensate customers for inconveniences within the company’s control. Diversification itself rarely works because it has to adopt policies that create, throughout the entire organization, the desire to innovate and the habits of entrepreneurship and innovation. Through the IROP Integrity project, we now look at ways crew services could improve their processes, even with technology limitations. In fact 90% of IRO’s Integrity projects involved no technology improvements but processes, policies or training, all at relatively low cost. Many other small changes, such as adding groups to e-mail distribution, had been immediately implemented, but still other improvements have occurred simply as the res ult of people from different parts of the organization getting to know each other and understanding their responsibilities. The IROP Integrity model has become a JetBlue model for any large-scale change by bringing front-line crewmembers into the process of designing operation change and this is how JetBlue creates synergy. By building cross-departmental relationships through cross-functional/cross-level working teams and also building internal capabilities for project management and process improvement with (LEAN tools) to identifying sources of waste and inefficiency. The problems require more study, such as evaluation technology, working with other parts of the company, or analyzing what other companies do. By providing crew members and crew leaders the guidance, tools and opportunity to â€Å"learn by doing,† it created a collaborative, supportive, and corporate sponsored program. The changes came in many forms in technology, communication, and process flow; some involve the physical layout of critical facilities such as the System Operation Center (SOC). The  goal is to expand the â€Å"wisdom of crowds† philosophy, and tap all crewmember’s experiences to find solutions to the inconvenient problems as seen in 2010 when the company installed a new reservation system, a major cross-function change that it accomplished using some of the tools it had mastered during IROP Integrity. Companies tend to overestimate the value of very general resources in creating a competitive advantage in a new market. In JetBlue’s case t here is too much expansion within the company that led to problems in human resources. As Drucker states, â€Å"by and large, big companies have been successful as entrepreneurs only if they use their own people to build the venture. They have been successful only when they use people whom thy understand an who understand them, people whom they trust and who in turn know how to get tings done in the existing business; people, in other words, with whom one can work as partners.† (Drucker 363). JetBlue has experience most of its success through the understanding the importance of well trained employees that fit with the company’s core values of safety, caring, integrity, fun, and passion. Unlike mission statements that could be seen as hot air, values represents the bedrock for the development of human resource policies, practices and management style. JetBlue has talent in leveraging human resources by demonstrating quality care for their customers from one end to another and keeping the company union free. A great deal of this is accomplished through the company establishing its five core values that represent the characteristics of the company: Safety, Caring, Integrity, Fun, and Passion. JetBlue needs to continue to establish itself as a value-based company that is built on the principle to be extraordinary on the outside, as well as extraordinary on the inside. Hiring the best people and treating them exactly the way Jetblue expects their customers to be treated is essential to this goal of synergy throughout the whole company with fair compensation, benefits programs, accurate two-way communication, exquisite training, opportunities for career growth and a safe, enjoyable environment. JetBlue understands that above all, an airline is a bewildering array of teams, systems, and complex logistics. By coming together across work groups, JetBlue crewmembers discover efficiencies, learn from each other, and develop a corporate culture of team cooperation and team support. By customizing pay employment benefits packages, JetBlue creates incentives for employees to perform well  in the long run by working happy and efficiently or as Rhoades would say, â€Å"people donâ €™t complain when they have choices.† In Corporate Strategy, Collis and Montgomery state, â€Å"Inefficiencies arise inside the corporate hierarchy because individuals do not receive all the profit they generate. They therefore, do not have the incentive to maximize corporate profits, but rather to maximize their own welfare. As a result, levels of ability, effort and investment may be lower inside the corporation than in sole proprietorships.† (Collis, Montgomery 121). JetBlue utilizes the strategy of symbolic actions to maintain internal consistency by leading by example. The symbolic actions have little impact, but sends a visible and powerful messages to the employees of the organization that a change is necessary in order to commit similar mistakes like outgrowing its operation infrastructure to a point that it became unmanageable with very simplistic operating systems in place. As for the future, JetBlue remains one of the most responsive companies on Twitter and Facebook. Some might say they need to be, given the amount of confusion and concern their customers face on a daily basis. The reality is that air travel is unavoidably subject to delays, malfunctions and errors. So why would a company step into the fight, knowing it going to face a bit of a firestorm? Since companies like JetBlue earn a tremendous amount of customer satisfaction for being to step up and solve issues, they are able to help customers become more open and responsive to their marketing efforts. By leveraging social media to contain cost and differentiation, and leveraging an integrated customer service system to build a target marketing program that tailors messages to customer, it enables JetBlue to increase their effectiveness. JetBlue will also start targeting business travelers because JetBlue is in a unique situation given the current economic times. As a discount provider, who also focuses on customer service, JetBlue will be able to appeal to cost-sensitive business people that need to cut travel costs but don’t want to sacrifice comfort, convenience, and modernity. JetBlue should investigate opportunities to increase corporate travel partnerships because as Drucker states, â€Å"as the corporation moves toward a confederation or a syndicate, it will increasingly need a top management that is separate, powerful, and accountable. This top management’s responsibilities will cover the entire organization’s direction, planning, strategy, values and principles; it’s  structure, its relationship, its research, design and innovation. Top management will have to take charge of the management of the two resources common to all units of the organization: key people and money.† (Drucker 58). It is vital that JetBlue maintain balance in the three dimensions of a corporation as an economic and socially responsible organization. Work Cited Kazemi, Colleen. â€Å"Can Marketers Do More With Social Media?† Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 30 Aug. 0000. Web. 08 May 2013. Responsys. â€Å"Responsys Partners With JetBlue to Take Its Customer Experience to New Heights.† Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 13 Jan. 0000. Web. 08 May 2013. Drucker, Peter Ferdinand, and Joseph A. Maciariello. Management. New York, NY: Collins, 2008. Print. Collis, David J., and Cynthia A. Montgomery. Corporate Strategy: A Resource-based Approach. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2005. Print. Dyer, Jeff, Hal B. Gregersen, and Clayton M. Christensen. The Innovator’s DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators. Boston, MA: Harvard Business, 2011. Print. Hoyt, David, Charles O’Reilly, Hayagreeva Rao, and Robert Sutton. † Stanford Graduate School of Business.† JetBlue Airways: A New Beginning (2010): 1-21. Print. Huckman, Robert S., and Gary P. Pisano, eds. â€Å"Harvard Business School.† JetBlue Airways: Managing Growth (2011): 1-10. Print. Gittell, Jody H., and Charles O’Reilly. â€Å"Harvard Business School.† JetBlue Airways: Starting from Scratch (2001): 1-13. Print. Friesen, Marlene, and Elliott N. Weiss. â€Å"Darden Business Publishing University of Virginia.† The JetBlue Story (2004): 1-11. Print. George, Bill, and Matthew D. Breitfelder. â€Å"Harvard Business School.† David Neeleman: Flight Path of a Servant Leader (A) (2011): 1-10. Print.

Strayer Cis500 Assignment 1

1. Compare and contrast the application of information technology (IT) to optimize police departments’ performance to reduce crime versus random patrols of the streets. In recent years, the idea of predictive policing, or the use of statistics and data to make policing decisions, has become widely popular in the United States. In 1994, the New York City Police Department adopted a law enforcement crime fighting strategy known as COMPSTAT (Computer Statistics). COMPSTAT uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map the locations of where crimes occur, identify â€Å"hotspots†, and map problem areas.COMPSTAT has amassed a wealth of historical crime data. Mathematicians have designed and developed algorithms that run against the historical data to predict future crimes for police departments. The purpose of this paper is to briefly examine predictive policing and how tools such as COMPSTAT allow police departments to respond more efficiently to criminal activity. Using information technology to fight crime by the police officers is becoming increasingly effective in apprehending the crime perpetrators.Predictive policing, or programs such as COMPSTAT, involves using data from disparate sources, analyzing them and then using the results to anticipate, prevent and respond more effectively to future crimes. â€Å"The predictive vision moves law enforcement from focusing on what will happen and how to effectively deploy resources in front of the crime, thereby changing outcomes,† writes Charlie Beck, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (Predictive Policing: The Future of Law Enforcement, NIJ, 2012). From the early 1800s to the 1980s, patrol and criminal investigation dominated policing.Uniformed police patrolled the streets to prevent crime, to interrupt crimes in progress, and to apprehend criminals. However, research since the 1960s has shown the limits of both patrol and investigation for controlling crime. Patrol officers did not eff ectively prevent crime by questioning suspects, victims, and witnesses. In the 1990s, the police adopted  predictive policing strategies  in which police initiate action instead of waiting for calls. Patrol remains the backbone of police operations. It consumes most of the resources of police agencies.On patrol, a police officer makes regular circuits or passes through a specific area. Studies of foot patrol indicate that these patrols are costly and do not reduce crime. Because crime is not evenly distributed throughout a community, which means some places need more patrol than others. The tradition of giving each neighborhood an equal amount of patrol wastes police resource, so the tradition of giving each neighborhood an equal amount of patrol just wastes police resources, however, which can make citizens less fearful of crime and improve citizen attitudes toward the police(CliffsNotes. om. ). While predictive police operations focus on the concentration of crime in certain o ffenders, places, and victims. Predictive operations include using decoys, going undercover, raiding, relying on informants, stopping and frisking suspects, shadowing repeat offenders, policing repeat-complaint locations, and saturating an area with police to maintain order which can be an effective method to prevent crime(CliffsNotes. com. ). 2. Describe how COMPSTAT, as an information system (IS), implements the four (4) basic IS functions: 1.Input, 2. Processing, 3. Output, 4. Feedback. COMPSTAT is the name given to the New York City Police Department's accountability process and has since been replicated in many other departments. COMPSTAT is a management philosophy or organizational management tool for police departments, roughly equivalent to  Six Sigma  or TQM, and is not a computer system or software package. † (State of CA, 2010). COMPSTAT as an information system implements the four basic IS functions in the following ways: InputData gathering process which is th e building block of COMPSTAT is comprised of information compiled from variety of sources like police incidents, arrest reports, suspect debriefing, telephone calls, and field interview reports. Pushing the data into the Incident Reporting System will help to maintain a database for future reference (Willis et al. , 2003). Processing The collection of data is presented during every COMPSTAT meeting. This would be entered into a database using a data management program like MS Access. This task is performed by the Crime Analysis Unit (CAU).These analysts classify, categorize, aggregate and analyze the data in order to gain a detailed report including many details like date, location, day and other information related to the crime. At this stage they would be able to identify a targeted response that may be the source of concern. This report provides useful identification of crime patterns like the point of entry for a burglary or make and model of a stolen vehicle (Willis et al. , 20 03, Pg 48-50). Further by using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) data and spatial analysis geographic hot spots are located and mapped to the data.Output Once the data is processed, it is presented to the department commanders. With available intelligence they should devise a strategy and deploy resources with expertise to tactfully pre-empt a crime situation and follow it up to ensure performance and results were as desired. These are key steps or principles which guide the departments patrol and investigative work: * Accurate and timely intelligence, * Rapid deployment * Effective tactics, and * Relentless follow-up and assessment (William J. Bratton, 1999 pg-15). Feedback The key element of improvement is feedback.As it includes data, any error related to this aspect should be avoided. Consistent and correct data has to be entered into the incident reporting system and database. Accurate report writing should be followed while recording incidents. Extensive data analysis to i dentify the root cause of crime becomes mandatory. Regular meetings and brainstorming session should be conducted to improve data collection and teams involved should be evaluated. Learning from past mistakes should never be avoided. Continuous aiming at innovation and integration with latest technology to keep the system up to date can provide better results.Periodic assessments of performance and gaps in accomplishing set goals and objectives should be reviewed so that corrective measures can be taken to fill the gaps to meet desired results. 3. Determine how information systems have allowed police departments that implement tools such as COMPSTAT to respond to crime faster. With the implementation of information systems real time access to data has become easier. Identification of hot spots related to crime is possible and problem solving has become proactive instead of reactive. Monitoring of multiple locations and futuristic crime and its patterns can be detected.This allows op erations to be carried with fewer resources, and reduced random patrols. Further it provides a platform for administering vast information which enables better decision making and problem solving. By demanding accountability it facilitates team work and police personnel are now working together to accomplish set goals faster thereby reducing crime. 4. Apply the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis (SWOT analysis) on behalf of police departments that intend to implement predictive policing. SWOT Analysis of Predictive Policing SWOT Analysis of Predictive PolicingStrengths: The strength of predictive policing is that it allows resources to be used more efficiently because they can be deployed to specific locations in which crimes are likely to occur and for specific types of crimes. In this regard, it is also easier to prevent crime from occurring as opposed to merely responding to it (Goode, 2011). Weaknesses: Predictive policing is often treated as being solely related to the use of computers and data to the detriment of involving front-line police officers in the decision-making process.This can result in police officers feeling both disrespected and unimportant in performing police work (Willis, Mastrofski ; Weisburd, 2003). Opportunities: Predictive policing provides for the opportunity for police departments to reduce criminal activity at a lower cost to taxpayers. Police departments can prevent crime from occurring rather than using limited resources to respond to crimes once they have occurred and hoping responses will deter other criminals (Pearsall, 2010).Threats: The primary threat related to predictive policing is that some police officers, particularly older police officers, are skeptical of the use of statistics and data in place of traditional street patrols. This could result in predictive policing efforts not being carried out in a way that will allow them to be as successful as possible. Conclusion The information containe d in this brief paper has shown that with the use of information technology and programs such as COMPSTAT, predictive policing can result in a reduction in crime by predicting where it will occur rather than responding to it once it has occurred.However, predictive policing can have problems if the sole focus is on the use of information technology. Instead, police officers and the general public must be included in the process. Their feedback must be solicited as part of the larger process. Otherwise, they have the ability to derail any reductions in crime and improvements in performance that might be possible from predictive policing. References 1. Goode, E. (2011, August 15). Sending the police before there’s a crime. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com/2011/08/us/16police. html 2. Pearsall, B. (2010, May).Predictive policing: The future of law enforcement? National Institute 3. Willis, J. J. , Mastrofski, S. D. , ; Weisburd, D. (2003). Compstat in practice: An in-dept h Analysis of three cities. Police Foundation. Retrieved from http://www. policefoundation. org/pdf/compstatinpractice. pdf 4. CliffsNotes. com. Police Strategies. Retrieved April,12th, 2012, from http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/topicArticleId-10065,articleId-9953. html 5. Bratton, W. J. ; Malinowski, S. W. (2008). Police performance management in practice: Taking COMPSTAT to the next level. Policing, 2(3), 259-265.